The Lake House
by Barbarian Librarian
Summary: One fateful Labor Day weekend, Mulder invites Scully up to Chilmark to his Lake House.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I know I spread myself thin with all my stories, but I have all sorts of ideas in my head, who am I to strangulate them? This is at attempt at a complete change of pace than what I've been writing – this will be fluff, not heavy like many of my previous stories. Hope you enjoy! Timeline for this piece would be after they got back from Antarctica in FTF, before season 6 begins.

* * *

><p>I will show you love like you've never loved before<br>I will go the distance and back for more if you just say the word  
>'Cause you will come alive again<br>Call the trying times your friend  
>Pain that you have suffered through<br>Never get the best of you  
>You will hope in something real<br>Won't depend on how you feel  
>When you call my name, then I will answer, answer<p>

- "I Will Show You Love", Kendall Payne

* * *

><p>"Earth to Scully…"<p>

Dana Scully's eyes darted from the clock to her partner Fox Mulder. Clearly she'd spaced out. For how long – who knew? It was the Thursday before Labor Day weekend, which meant it felt like Friday to her, because federal holidays were always four-day weekends. Because of the nature of the workload that came with the X-Files, they didn't always get to enjoy those four-day weekends. This weekend, however, there was nothing on the docket for them. Even better, there was a federal in-service on Tuesday, so they were not due back to work until Wednesday. That was nearly a week off work, without having to use any vacation days.

Of course, she didn't have a damn thing planned. She was hoping to relax. They'd had a harrowing summer, to say the least. A few months ago they'd been taken off the X-Files and their office burnt to the ground. They'd been bumped around to different crap details, to include one in Dallas, to help investigate a bomb in a federal building. After they'd returned to Washington, life got incredibly hairy. After a near-kiss between the two of them in the hallway and an abduction trip to Antarctica that resulted in Mulder literally going to the end of the earth to rescue her, things were weird.

The pair has since returned to work, but the near-kiss in the hallway of Mulder's apartment, after she'd nearly quit the FBI, that scene kept replaying in her head. The tension hung thickly in the air of their makeshift office, like a fog. They did the proverbial two-step around the elephant in the room several times a day. Quite often their eyes would lock, and they would reach this mutual understanding in their gaze, accepting what happened actually did happen. But now it was like this mental game of chicken – who would bring it up first?

"Hey, Scully!" Mulder was now standing directly in front of her, his hip resting on her desk, as he peered curiously down at her.

She shook her head in response, trying to shake out her thoughts.

"Sorry, Mulder – spaced out for a second," she said sheepishly, leaning back in her chair.

"I'll say."

"What's up?"

Mulder made no attempt to move from the close proximity of her, which made Scully borderline uncomfortable. The nature of her own feelings for him confused her, and when he stood so close, she wasn't able to think clearly. This was clearly an indicator of how she felt in reality, but per usual, she chose to ignore it.

He shifted his weight. "Have any plans for the long weekend?"

She shook her head. "I was thinking of catching up on reading a few medical journals I'd pushed aside. Maybe visit my mother."

Internally she felt pathetic and lonely.

"Oh." He clipped his response, making Scully wonder what else he was trying to say. Very rarely was Fox Mulder elusive about what he wanted to say.

"Why do you ask?" Scully pressed.

"Well, I… I was wondering," he said uncomfortably, clearing his throat.

She raised her eyebrows, as if to indicate for him to go on.

"I was wondering, I'm going to Martha's Vineyard this weekend, and I wondered if you'd like to come too?"

Scully exhaled slowly, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"What were you planning on doing in Martha's Vineyard?"

"Well," he said, suddenly interested in her cup of pens on her desk. "I have a house there?"

Her eyebrow hit her hairline. A _house_?

"Since when have you owned a house in Martha's Vineyard?" she asked, almost incredulously.

"Since I inherited it when my father died… my mother wanted nothing to do with the house, since she lives in Connecticut, and I considered selling it, but I like having a little getaway from the craziness of the city."

Scully smiled. She enjoyed learning things about Mulder she didn't know before. Mulder was her best friend, but it seemed like there was this line between them, regarding personal information. She welcomed this breach of the line. Admittedly, she wasn't as forthcoming herself, but it was something she vowed to work on – especially in light of recent events.

"So… what do you think?" he pressed, stirring her from her reverie.

Her heart skipped a beat. Five days on Martha's Vineyard, just she and Mulder? This could be dangerous. But then again, they needed this. They needed to recover from everything, and she knew Mulder needed to get away since their office burned down. He didn't take losing the X-Files well.

Oh what the hell…

"Uh, sure, if you're sure I won't be interrupting – did you have plans up there?" she said lamely.

Mulder couldn't hide his grin. He thought he'd have to plead with her a little longer to get her to come with him.

"Of course you wouldn't be in the way – I want you to come, Scully," he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "I didn't have any plans. The house is pretty big, and on a lake. I've been restoring it here and there for a while now. Every year there are fireworks for Labor Day in Chilmark. Probably warm enough for the beach still. I just thought it would be a fun and relaxing time."

Scully smiled. Fox Mulder wasn't a man she'd seen grin genuinely too many times, how could she say no to him? Plus it sounded like it would be a nice weekend.

"So when would we be heading out? I still need to pack."

He looked up at the clock on the wall. "I was thinking about leaving early in the morning – six or so – to beat the traffic and get up there. It's about a nine-hour drive or so, depending on traffic on the Jersey Turnpike. We could stop somewhere nice for lunch if you wanted. "

"That sounds perfect."

The pair spent the next hour tying up loose ends at work in preparation of being away until Wednesday. At about two, Mulder stood up.

"This place is dead, let's get outta here."

Scully agreed. She needed to pack and take care of some errands before they headed out.

She stood up and pushed her chair in, and headed for the door, taking her coat off the hook of the hanger by the door. Mulder startled her by grabbing her wrist as she was about to head out – she assumed he was following her out. He tugged at her arm and she turned to face him. Their eyes locked momentarily, before he yanked her gently to him, and pulled her into an unexpected embrace.

Her heart swelled in her chest at the contact, her nose meeting his chest, inhaling deeply. Mulder kissed her head, and they embraced for a few short moments before he spoke.

"I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend with you, Scully."

Her breath hitched in her throat, not sure what to say, because she wasn't sure what he meant by that. Instead she said nothing.

They parted and he looked at her once more before they headed out the door.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Scully paced, frustrated and self-consciously in her bedroom. Her weekend bag was open on her bed, and she had been deciding for the past half-hour what to pack. She'd failed to ask Mulder if there was anything special she needed to bring. She didn't want to over-pack and appear to be high maintenance, but she wanted to make sure she had all bases covered. Chilmark was the wealthiest area of the island, and Mulder of course came from an affluent family. She didn't know what to expect.<p>

After another fifteen minutes of pacing, she finally bit the bullet and picked up her cell phone and dialed Mulder's number.

"Mulder," he answered after the first ring.

"Hey, it's me," she said, tossing panties into her bag, along with a bra and some socks.

"What's up, Scully? Getting packed?"

"Well that's what I called," she said, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder, as she pulled out pajamas. "I guess I'm not sure what I need to bring, outside of my casual clothes."

Mulder chuckled silently on his end of the line. He found it amusing that she was fretting about packing.

"Whatever you want, Scully, seriously, we aren't going anywhere crazy. Bring your swimsuit if you want to go to the beach. Maybe bring something nice so I can take you out somewhere really nice on the island for dinner one night."

Scully shivered involuntarily at the suggestion. It felt so… unlike them, but she didn't protest. She wanted to see where Mulder was going with all this. So she'd go with the flow.

After they ended their conversation, she tossed her phone onto her bed and continued packing. She found herself packing her more revealing pajamas, and she wasn't exactly sure why. Their feelings marinated slowly, over the span of years. Today her feelings, which partially lay dormant for a long time now, went from 0 to 100 in the matter of an afternoon.

After an hour, she was satisfied with the contents of her bag. It was getting late, and she needed to head to bed, because Mulder was going to be there a bit before six. She peeled back the covers of her bed and slid in, sighing contentedly at the delicious feeling of freshly shaven legs sliding into clean sheets. She relaxed in her bed and left her mind to wander about the weekend until sleep overtook her for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Cause you have climbed an uphill road  
>You have worn a heavy load<br>You have cried through endless nights  
>Nearly giving up the fight<br>Watch your dreams like fallen stars  
>Heartache made you who you are<br>Looking back you see that I've always been there

Where you gonna hide, where you gonna hide from me?  
>Where you gonna go, where you gonna go that I can't see?<p>

Cause I have heard your cry  
>And it breaks my heart, for I love you so<br>I will never lie

This is not the end  
>There is still a hope<p>

-"I Will Show You Love", Kendall Payne

* * *

><p>They had been on the road for a little over five hours. It had been a smooth ride so far - minimal traffic in Philly, though Mulder wasn't sure they'd be so lucky trying to navigate New York City. Mulder was enjoying their time in the car together. They were making small talk the whole way<p>

He'd picked her up at her apartment this morning and he felt unusually nervous. They'd been best friends for more than five years now, but this was new for them. Of course he was in love with her, but he didn't know what to do about it. Mulder wasn't even positive of his motives when he invited Scully up to Chilmark. He knew that it'd been a hell of a past year or two - Scully's cancer, Emily, and now Antarctica more recently. He felt like they deserved time (together or otherwise) in a new environment - no ghosts, aliens, or mythical creatures, within his control.

She was beautiful this morning. Mulder had knocked, and she answered almost immediately, like she'd been expecting him. When Scully opened the door, Mulder almost gasped. He was so used to his very structured Scully - with the perfectly pressed suits, the pumps, the button-ups. When she wasn't in that, Mulder was used to seeing her in pajamas, in hotel rooms while out in the field, or on the off-chance he came to visit her, it was always at night, interrupting something.

So when she answered the door and he noticed her usually perfectly coiffed copper bob was straightened, appearing longer, and her side bangs ever-present, his mouth went dry. Her face was fresh, her eyes glittering blue. She was clad in low-slung jeans and a soft butter-yellow t-shirt. Scully looked ten years younger, like a graduate student or something. She was so relaxed and at ease. Mulder thought she'd never looked sexier to him. But of course, Mulder was always attracted to her.

As he drove, he silently wondered if this was their time. They'd been through so much, continually proving that together they were stronger. He wasn't sure how Scully felt about him entirely. At times he thought she returned his feelings, and there were other times where he thought she couldn't stand him. The tension between them was undeniable to both of them, however.

Somewhere between Philadelphia and Manhattan, Scully's stomach began to growl.

She unconsciously touched her stomach. Mulder gave her the side-eye.

"You wanna stop somewhere, Scully?"

Scully glanced at the clock. It was noon. She was hungry but didn't want to stop to sit down and eat, she wanted to keep on course so they'd blow through Manhattan.

"Can we just hit a drive thru?"

"Of course," he responded, glancing at the food signs upon approaching the next exit. "Looks like this exit has a Wendy's, a McDonalds, and a Taco Bell..."

"Wendy's is fine, if that works for you," she said, silently displeased at the frequent unhealthy fast-food options.

Mulder pulled onto the ramp, exiting and heading towards Wendy's. They ordered their food and pulled around. A spicy chicken for Mulder and a salad for Scully. He raised his eyebrow at her as he handed her the bag while they sat at the drive-thru window. Scully's cancer had been in remission for about a year now, and she'd been slow to gain back the weight she'd lost from being sick. Mulder loved her regardless, but it didn't mean he didn't worry about her.

Scully didn't know this, but her cancer pushed Mulder to the edge more than her abduction did. Cancer led to uncertainty... there was no one way it happened. It was different for everyone, and the kind of cancer she had - it was a death sentence. Mulder ran around, desperate. He was so torn between wanting to spend time with her, in fear she may die and trying desperately to find a cure for her cancer, or to find answers. Anything. He wished there was a way he could have traded places with her, kept her safe.

And of course, they'd not discussed the effects of her cancer, on either of them. They just continually moved forward. Mulder still had nightmares of Scully's cancer returning, and having to look into her tired eyes, that sunk into her face. Having to go through bouts of chemo with her. She deserved so much better.

"What's that look for?" Scully said, as they pulled away from the window.

Mulder shook his head, as if to indicate he meant nothing, but she knew better.

"No seriously, what?"

He sighed, not wanting to get into this conversation with four hours still left on the road and a whole weekend ahead of them.

"I just hope you're... not eating just a salad because you think you need to watch your figure or something."

Scully's eyebrow hit her hairline. _That's_ what this was about? "Since when has my figure mattered to you?"

Mulder sighed. This wasn't how he envisioned this conversation at all.

"I just mean that I worry about you, Scully, that's all."

Scully made to protest immediately but Mulder interrupted her.

"I don't mean that you can't take care of yourself – because I know you can… I just worry – Scully you have no idea… please don't take it personally."

Scully was thoughtful for a minute. "Why do you worry about me so much, Mulder?"

He was silent for a few minutes. Mulder wanted to be honest, but he hadn't talked about this with her – or anyone.

"I know we haven't really talked about it, but... I had an incredibly hard time with your cancer... I don't mean to make this about me, because I can't even imagine what you went through, Scully, but... I think it's something I still struggle with."

He kept his eyes forward on the road at his admission.

Scully's heart broke for him. Mulder was this pillar of strength to her - he'd always been, and especially during her cancer. She had no idea he had such a hard time with it. It wasn't entirely shocking, but the admission still rocked her.

She placed her hand over his, resting on the center console "Mulder, if you had a hard time you should have told me... we could have talked about it and dealt with it together."

He stared at their hands together, involuntarily shivering. "Scully, you had enough to deal with. I wanted to be strong for you... I had to be strong for you - for me too. But I was so afraid..."

Mulder stopped mid-sentence because he felt his voice crack. This was heavy stuff.

Reassuringly, Scully squeezed his hand. "I know," she whispered.

They were quiet again for a while. Scully kept her hand on top of Mulder's, loving the way it felt to touch him.

Things were changing between them. Maybe they had been for a while, and both of them had their heads in the sand for too long to realize it.

About a half-hour passed in silence before Mulder spoke again.

"Scully," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "There was so much I wanted to say to you then, some things I regret never telling you. Had you never made it... God forbid... I would have never forgiven myself."

Scully felt the tears well up. What did he mean by that? It was so strange, because she felt the same way. There was so much she wanted to tell him - then and now... and yet she never did.

Before she could press him further, he continued. "You deserve so much more than what was given to you, Scully. I'm tired of life kicking us in the nuts every time. I think that's why I wanted to come up here with you. I just want to make up for everything that has happened. I know I never can, but I want to try. You're an amazing person, Dana. I just... want to give you everything."

Wordlessly, Scully buried her face into their clasped hands, hiding her emotions from him, but placing a gentle kiss on his hand. If there ever was a way to get Scully to break, it was to have serious Mulder call her by her first name. She felt the tears prick in her eyes, and she was unable to contain them. They'd weathered so much together. Cancer was the one thing that they were almost unable to weather. The realization of one's own mortality is a sobering thought. It made Scully want to forget her barriers, her emotional walls, her reasons, and her excuses with Mulder. If not now, when? Time was a precious commodity, and only though understanding Mulder's feelings was she able to understand that. Every day they lived on borrowed time.

She mattered to someone.

"I love you," she whispered, her face twisted into a frown into his hand, trying to control the tears.

Mulder nearly flipped the car on the Jersey Turnpike.

"Scully I-" he began, his breath caught in his throat.

"No," she said firmly, looking up at him now. Mulder could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't expect you to respond. I just want you to know that there are things I've wanted to say to you too, for so long. And that's it."

"I had no idea," he said finally, after a few moments. "I mean, sometimes I thought maybe yes... but I didn't know you felt that way. Jesus, Scully. Here we are trapped in this car for another three hours, and I am unable to respond because of it."

She tossed him a questionable glance. "Why can't you say what you want now?"

He turned to look at her fully and tossed her a wry grin. "Who said I wanted to say anything?"

The words died in her mouth at the realization of what he meant.

"Answer me this, Scully," he said. "Do you want more?"

His question was a loaded question, of course. But she knew what he meant anyway.

"Yes," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

Mulder exhaled a breath he was unaware he'd been holding.

"How much more?" He knew he was pushing the envelope. "Ideally, what do you want?"

Her brow furrowed at that. She wasn't sure how far she wanted to put herself out there with her feelings just yet. After all, turnabout is fair play, and Mulder hadn't divulged much.

"Quid pro quo, Mulder. Do you want more?"

Mulder smirked. Typical Scully. He steered with one hand while grabbing her left hand, which had retreated back into her lap.

"God, yes. Scully, I'm crazy for you. I've always been crazy about you. How could I not be?"

With that, a grin tugged at her lips. Was this really happening?

"How much more do you want, Mulder?"

He chuckled. "I believe it's your turn, but that's fine, we'll play by your rules. Honestly Scully, I want whatever you will give me. Anything... everything."

"But ideally?"

"Ideally, Dana, I want to be with you forever. I want to be your partner, your best friend like we have now - but I want to go home with you at the end of the day - make love to you at night... Call me selfish, but I want it all."

She stifled a moan at that whole scenario.

"I want it all too," she whispered, catching his eye and exchanging a long glance.

The pair was silent for some time, processing what was going on between them. They still had a bit of a car ride left to Chilmark.

"Damnit," he sighed, frustrated. He wanted to be there already to they could start their weekend. He wasn't sure what was in store for them – though he had a pretty good idea.

One thing was for sure – it would be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

While the dying world re-defines

The reasons we strive to exist  
>We feign control though we're bound to<p>

Learn the meaning of moments like this  
>Cause in the peaceful hour, the quiet spell<br>Seduced by the promise of bliss

We soon forget that nothing's happened yet  
>We're living for moments like this<p>

So hold me, whisper gently

This is what we live for

How we learn who we are  
>It defines us<p>

Ever reminding us

That life never is more precious than this

-"Moments Like This", Allison Krauss

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><p>The remaining three hours of the ride to Chilmark passed excruciatingly slowly. Mulder and Scully were silent a good bit of the ride, needing the time to mentally sort out recent events. Mulder drove with one hand, the other rested gently on the console, and Scully laced her fingers through his for the remainder of the ride.<p>

What took a good bit of time was waiting for the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. They had to drive onto the ferry and wait the ride out to the island, which took about forty-five minutes, but there was only one specific ferry that took vehicles.

Martha's Vineyard itself was a small island, about ten miles wide and twenty miles long. It was an incredibly affluent area, as Scully noted as they entered the island. There were many beautiful houses on the beach and a good bit of the stores and shops were mom-and-pop owned places. They all seemed to be made out of similar wood – giving towns a charming, old town feel.

The ferry dropped them in Oak Bluffs, and from there they had about a half hour drive to Mulder's lake house. Scully was beyond ready to be there, but she was also enjoying the views of Martha's Vineyard. It was hard to imagine the Fox Mulder that she knew growing up in such a ritzy place. It was so very different from how she grew up – a Navy brat that bounced around from base to base every three to four years.

"Hey Scully," Mulder said, interrupting her thoughts. "I know you're probably ready to get there, but you want to stop by the grocery before we get there? The house isn't stocked with much and I'm sure once we get there, we won't want to be in the car again."

"Oh that's fine," she said, shifting her body to turn towards him, her left shoulder and head leaned on the back of the seat. "What's the plan for dinner?"

"I've got a grill at the house, I was thinking of grilling some steaks or some fresh fish and some veggies on the grill, if that's fine with you."

That sounded heavenly. The salad she had for lunch seemed like forever ago. She was starving.

As it turned out, the grocery was only a few minutes from the house. The parked and Scully got out of the car and stretched, holding her arms up over her head, arching her back. Ten straight hours in the car s not for the faint of heart, that was for sure. Mulder came around the other side of the car and nearly tackled her with his embrace.

Scully melted when he touched her, returning his embrace, and nuzzling her face into his chest before finally resting her left cheek on his chest. He placed his lips on her head, inhaling the Scully scent he so rarely got the pleasure to enjoy.

They remained like this for a few minutes.

"I want to kiss you," Mulder murmured into her hair. "But the kind of kiss I want to give you is inappropriate for public."

Scully shuddered deliciously at the idea. Extracting herself from his embrace, she grabbed his hand and they headed into the store.

"Since when have you ever given a shit about what's appropriate, Mulder?"

Mulder snorted. "Touché, Scully."

They perused the aisles and loaded their cart with fresh veggies and herbs, some bread and fresh lunchmeat from the deli for lunches. They made it to the meat counter and picked up steaks and fresh swordfish for the grill. Mulder picked up a bottle of sauvignon blanc for dinner, and a twelve pack of his favorite beer for the house. The simple act of going to the store together felt so incredibly intimate to Scully. It felt good and it felt comfortable.

Finally, they'd finished, paid, and headed to Mulder's house. As they pulled in the driveway, Scully gasped. It was a fairly decent sized house, not over the top – just perfect. It was built of the same wood everything else on the island seemed to me made of – but the wood was painted a handsome shade of greyish blue. It had a porch that seemed to wrap around to the back deck, which was painted somewhere between a taupe and bone color. On the porch hung a very large porch swing.

"Mulder, this place is stunning," she said, amazed.

He smiled genuinely. "Thank you, I was hoping you'd like it."

He put the car in park, and the pair got out, grabbing the grocery bags and headed inside.

"I'll get our stuff in a little bit," he said, putting his key into the lock.

Once they were inside, the house did not disappoint. The floors were all hard wood, the furniture looked antiqued, and the huge living room offered an incredible view of the deck, which was situated nearly on top of the lake.

Making their way into the kitchen, Scully nearly dropped the grocery bags she was carrying. It was magnificent. Every woman dreamed of a kitchen like that. Huge island in the middle, all topped with granite counter tops. The walls were painted periwinkle, the wooden cabinets painted white. The appliances were new, probably replaced in the last two years or so. The whole place was exquisite. She could tell Mulder had really taken care of the place.

They put away the groceries fairly quickly, and Mulder took her out to the huge back deck. The light breeze from the water felt nice. The lake was fairly big, and it was so strange to be at the lake but smell salt water, because the coast probably wasn't even a mile away.

The deck had some nice patio furniture alongside the grill Mulder boasted. Scully hoped they could have dinner tonight outside. It was a cloudy day there, but no rain in sight and the temperatures were in the low eighties. It was perfect.

Scully approached the rail of the deck and placed her hands on the wooden edge. She felt Mulder approach from behind, and he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck before placing chaste kisses there. Scully moaned softly, soaking up the forgotten sensations of physical intimacy.

"This lake is gorgeous, Mulder," she managed, as he continued to explore her neck from behind.

"It's actually not a lake, it's called Chilmark Pond, but it's a pretty big for a pond – we have always called this house the lake house," he explained, punctuating with a final kiss on her neck. "You'll notice the horizon there seems to not end, and that's because the ocean is not even a mile south, so from here, it's hard to tell where the pond ends and the ocean begins, because there's only a narrow strip of land separating the two. Tomorrow I'll show you."

This place was like a cocoon, nestled away in the middle of nowhere. It was a strange dichotomy between beach and just plain country. She never wanted to leave; she just wanted to forget about Washington, the Bureau, and all other responsibilities. Fortunately, they had four more days to enjoy it before they headed back to reality.

Scully turned in his embrace, her back now leaning against the railing of the deck. He looked down at her, studying her face. She looked so beautiful; her copper strands of hair gently blowing in the breeze… her eyes didn't have that usual worry that he always saw in her eyes. When he looked into her eyes, he only saw one thing. Love.

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" she whispered with a nervous smile.

He grinned back and closed the distance between them, slanting his mouth over hers. Their kiss was soft and tentative at first. Scully tilted her head slightly, opening her mouth to grant Mulder access, should he want it. And of course he did, because he took her green light as an opportunity to explore her mouth. His hands moved up to her face, cradling her head.

Their kiss became hungry, with several nips at each other. Scully's hands boldly grabbed Mulder's ass, pulling his hips to hers. She was met with his hardness brushing against her jeans, and Mulder moaned in her mouth, breaking the kiss, his hips bucking into hers. He placed his forehead against hers, his breathing ragged.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, knowing what she intentionally did to him.

"Don't be," he said roughly. "It's obvious where this is going, but I think dinner is in order first… let me wine and dine you first, Scully."

* * *

><p>Scully set the outside patio table as Mulder fiddled with the grill. They were having grilled swordfish for dinner and some grilled veggies – zucchini, tomatoes, onions, et cetera.<p>

"Mulder, what are you drinking, beer or wine?" she asked, unsure of whether or not to set him out a wine glass.

"Let's open that bottle of wine," he said, not bothering to turn around. I put it in the freezer to chill it, so it should be good to go."

Once everything was ready, it was about seven. It was starting to get dark, so Mulder lit a few citronella candles and placed them in various spots on the deck to keep the mosquitos away. It was the downside to being right on the water.

They sat down and began to enjoy their dinner. Mulder served Scully, and then served himself. Scully filled their classes with the delicious white wine.

"Mulder, this looks fantastic," she said. "Thank you."

He beamed at her. "I've always wanted to cook for us, to be like this, Scully."

"All you had to do was ask."

"Like I knew that, Scully."

They exchanged a glance across the table as they ate.

Scully was enjoying her meal immensely. Mulder's wine glasses were the big ones, and she was halfway through her second. She felt warm and relaxed, enjoying the light buzz she had. This may have been the nicest night she's had in years. They spent the remainder of the meal talking about silly stuff that didn't matter, enjoying the breeze from the water, and polishing off the bottle of wine.

After awhile, she stifled a yawn. Scully didn't want to appear tired right now, because she wanted Mulder know she was more than ready for… other activities after dinner. Mulder checked his watch. It was nearly ten.

"Let me clean up the dinner dishes, quick, Scully. If you want to change I put your bag upstairs in the master bedroom."

"Mulder, let me help-" she began, standing up when he did.

"Uh-uh," he interrupted. "I told you I wanted to wine and dine you. This doesn't entail you doing the dishes."

She smiled warmly. "Well, tonight was perfect."

Mulder met her around her side of the table, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you, Scully… god, I love you so much. I can hardly believe this is real, what's happening between us."

She snuggled into his embrace. "Well believe it, g-man."

With that, Mulder shooed Scully upstairs to change as he picked up the table, and took care of the dishes and cleaned the grill.

Scully crept up the stairs, wondering which was the master bedroom. From what she could tell, it was a four-bedroom home with two bathrooms. She poked her head in a few rooms, and was finally successful at the last bedroom, which was significantly larger. Her bag set atop the bed, right next to Mulder's. She loved what he implied by that gesture. Sometimes she wished she were as bold as Mulder.

He'd left a lamp on for her, so now began the dilemma of what she wanted to wear to bed. She packed a few sets of pajamas, all of which were her less conservative ones. After digging through her bag, she settled on a matching cerulean silk set of shorts and a camisole. She slipped off her jeans and t-shirt, folding them back up and putting them back in the bag. She slipped off her bra and slid on the camisole. Scully fished out a lacy pair of black panties and slid those on, along with her pajama shorts. Her shorts were relatively short, revealing much of her porcelain toned thighs.

She took a look at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Giving herself a once-over and approving, she went down to find Mulder.

Mulder was in the kitchen, finishing up dishes. He was now shirtless, and Scully enjoyed the view of his well-toned shoulder muscles moving as he worked. She spied his grey t-shirt balled up on the island, covered in black soot, she assumed was from the grill.

Padding towards him, she stopped, just behind him and smoothed her hands over his shoulders. His skin was warm to her touch and his movements stilled.

"Mmm, Scully," he responded, wiping his hands dry and turning around.

When he turned around, his mouth ran dry at the sight of her. There she was, clad in this beautiful blue cami and what Mulder believed to be "booty shorts". He nearly groaned loudly when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. He spied her nipples hard behind the material.

"Oh god Scully," he breathed.

She crossed her arms across her chest self-consciously. Scully wasn't the sexy, leggy, brunette Mulder usually went for. Sometimes she felt overwhelmingly self-conscious in his presence, and this was for sure one of those times.

"Uh-uh Scully, don't do that," he said, reading her mind and grabbing her wrists. "You're so unbelievably gorgeous, you have no idea what you do to me."

"Show me," she whispered, shocking both Mulder and herself.

Brazenly, he snatched her hand, pressing it directly against his hardness.

They both moaned in response. His action snapped something within Scully, because she nearly attacked him, kissing him with a ferocity she didn't know she had within her. Her hands went immediately to the button of his jeans. Not breaking the kiss, Mulder began to guide her backwards, moving them to living room. When the backs of Scully's legs reached the big, over-stuffed couch in the living room, Scully fell back onto it, Mulder toppling over her.

Scully could keep her hands off of him, allowing one hand to roam up and down has back, as she pressed the other into his ass. Unconsciously she was undulating underneath him, and Mulder began to groan. He knew he needed to slow this down, or else it would be over far too early.

"Stop. Now." He said dangerously.

His tone of voice made Scully moan, and she felt the wetness flooding between her legs.

"I want to you too much, right now, we have to slow it down," he said, his voice like gravel. "Let me make you feel good, baby."

"Oh, please!" she cried out, struggling for contact with him.

He slid Scully's camisole over her head, revealing her breasts, which Mulder wasted no time tasting, nipping and sucking on the left nipple, as his hand took care of the other. After a few minutes he switched, and Scully began to whimper loudly.

"Oh Mulder, Jesus, yes!"

She was panting, needing his touch more than she could put into coherent sentences. Mulder pulled her shorts down, peeling her panties off with them. He leaned up to her ear and whispered, "I hope you have a pair of those shorts in every color, because those little booty shorts on you drive me fucking wild, Scully."

With that, he descended down her stomach, leaving a trail with his tongue. When he reached her wetness, he looked back up at her, amazed at how beautiful she was. The only light on in the room was a small lamp in the corner by the doorway. The soft light illuminated her delicate features.

He wanted to devour her.

Wordlessly, he plunged two fingers into her wetness, nearly blowing his load right then, feeling how wet she was – for him. He thrust his fingers in and out of her rhythmically, leaning down to taste her exactly where she wanted him, swirling his tongue gently around her clit. She cried out, bucking her hips into his face.

She was chanting his name in an undisciplined stream. She was close to the edge, so close she thought she might die from it. It'd been so long since a man had touched her, and she was positive no man had ever made her feel the way Mulder did.

Eventually, he gave into her pleading cries, his tongue swiping her clit over and over with determination. It didn't take long before her entire body stiffened and she began to quake, her walls clamping around his fingers. He tapered down his ministrations, allowing her to ride out the waves of her orgasm.

She melted back into the couch.

"You are unearthly beautiful, Dana Scully," he said, seriously, as her eyes opened, her blue orbs peering up at him in complete satisfaction.

"I always knew your oral fixation went beyond sunflower seeds and chewed pens," she said, tossing him a sexy smile.

Mulder barked out a laugh, not expecting her to be that forward, but loving every second of it. "it only extends to you, Scully."

She sat up then, and pulled him up with her.

"Let's go upstairs," she said, her voice rough and breathless.

Mulder led the way, Scully following, forgetting her clothing that was strewn about the living room.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Mulder left the soft lamp in the corner on and moved their bags up against the wall. When he turned around, he was greeted with a stark naked Scully, something he'd only imagined a billion times over.

She moved towards him, reaching for the button of his pants.

"You're wearing too many clothes," she explained, unfastening the button of his jeans, unzipping them slowly, and pulling them down, along with his boxers. His painfully hard cock, springing free.

Mulder kicked away his pants as Scully reached for him, stroking his entire length with a few lazy strokes, before kneeling and taking him completely into her mouth and shocking the hell out of Mulder once again.

"Christ, Scully!" he cried, his hands finding their way into her hair.

She bobbed up and down the length of him skillfully, cupping his balls as she moved. Mulder thought he was going to lose it. Briefly, he wanted to send out a thank-you note to whomever taught Scully how to do those things with her mouth.

"Scully, Scully, you gotta stop," he gasped, so close to the edge, he was nearly insane from it. "Wanna come inside of you."

She reluctantly stopped her ministrations, extracting him from her mouth with an audible pop. Scully had the audacity to look disappointed. Mulder shuddered.

He pulled her up to her feet and guided her back to the bed.

"You are amazing," he growled, pushing her gently back onto the bed. She moaned softly in response.

He climbed up on the bed after her, perched over her now on all fours.

"Mulder, please," she urged, spreading her legs a bit wider to indicated what she meant. "I don't want to wait anymore."

He thought he would die. Absolutely die.

Mulder rubbed just the tip into her wetness, before pushing slowly into her, until he buried her to the hilt. They both groaned in unison at the sensation. Scully was wet, hot, and incredibly snug – in short, she felt amazing. He noticed her grimace for a split second.

"Am I hurting you, Scully?" he asked, worried now.

She shook her head. "You're perfect, just give me a minute to adjust… it's been awhile," she said sheepishly.

He stroked her face gently. "Same here, baby, same here."

As misogynistic as Scully often found terms of endearment to be, she loved the way "baby" rolled so easily off his tongue, she loved how it made her feel.

Giving Mulder the green light, he began to move inside her, shallow strokes at first, before getting scolded by Scully which she hooked her leg around his waist, digging her heel into his ass, indicating she wanted him in deeper.

"You aren't going to hurt me," she said.

"I know, I know, but-"

"No," she interrupted, bringing his face to hers. "Let me tell you a little secret… I like it hard, so don't be afraid…"

She trailed off and Mulder nearly came at her admission. Jesus! He had no idea that Scully was so forward in bed. This was all beyond his wildest dreams.

He began to slam into her, steadily, thanking all that was holy for the wine he had at dinner, which gave his stamina a little more allowance. Scully was meeting him thrust for thrust now, and she cried out. She was close.

Mulder went into overdrive, wanting to hit whatever spot he just hit, over and over. His attempts were successful, because within minutes she was coming again, her walls slamming around.

That was all it took for him, and he came into her, hard, burying his face into her collarbone as he did. He felt her hand reach up and cup his balls as he came, which prolonged the sensation. Finally, he collapsed into her.

He was sated, to say the least. Scully was a tiger in bed, and his mind was blown. The reality far exceeded all the naughty fantasies he had about his partner over the years. He loved knowing this side of Scully.

Scully reached up and stroked his hair cozily, sighing softly.

"What is it, Scully?" he inquired, rolling them onto their side so they were facing each other.

She smiled lazily and touched his face. "Nothing," she said. "That was amazing, Mulder… better than anything I'd ever imag-"

"Ohhhh!" he said teasingly. "So you've imagined us before, huh?"

She swatted at him playfully. "Don't act so surprised."

"Mmm Scully, you're amazing," he said, pulling her close and pulling the covers over them. "Tomorrow you're going to tell me all about these fantasies you've had."

She kissed his neck gently before yawning. "What if I showed you instead?"

He groaned. "Jesus Scully, you're going to kill me before then."

Scully chuckled softly. "I love you, Mulder."

"I love you too, Scully."


	4. Chapter 4

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how where I've got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true

I was made for you

-"The Story", Ingrid Michaelson

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mulder awoke, his eyes fluttering open. He immediately noticed he was alone, which wasn't how he imagined waking up, given last night. Mulder envisioned his morning erection pressing deliciously into Scully ass. Instead, her side of the bed was empty.<p>

He padded downstairs, clad in just his boxer briefs, in search of Scully. Poking his head into various rooms of the house, he eventually found her outside on the back deck, enjoying a cup of coffee. Sliding open the door, he stepped outside towards her.

The sound of the door stirred Scully from her reverie, and she craned her neck back to see Mulder step out onto the deck, clad in just jus underwear.

"Mulder!" she hissed. "Your neighbors-"

"Are a half-mile away and nestled in the trees, Scully," he interrupted, coming around form behind her, kissing her on the cheek, and then the lips. "No one can see us right now."

With that, he grinned and bounced his eyebrows. Scully rolled her eyes and swatted at him playfully.

"Good morning," she said looking up from under her lashes, throwing him a shy smile.

"Good morning to you," he returned taking a seat across the table from her. "How long have you been awake?"

"An hour or two maybe?"

"Jesus, what time is it?"

"Ten-ish?" she said with a shrug.

His brow furrowed. "You could have woken me up, you didn't have to be bored down here by yourself."

She smiled softly at him. "I wasn't bored. Besides, when was the last time you had a full night's sleep anyway Mulder?"

He grinned at her. "What year is it again?"

Scully laced her hand through his on the table, feeling at ease with their status quo. "Exactly," she said. "Plus I wanted time to process everything from… last night."

Mulder's heart turned over in his chest in a brief moment of panic, wondering if she was having second thoughts about them, about last night.

"Stop it," she said firmly, understanding what that deer-in-headlights look meant. "Don't even go there, Mulder. I have no regrets about last night…. Last night may have been the best night of my life."

His face twisted into a grin he was unable to suppress. God he loved this woman.

"I did want to talk though, " she began, staring into her empty mug. "Nothing bad or devastating, just… logistics, and other things."

Typical Scully, Mulder smiled inwardly. Such a type A personality she was.

"Mind if I get some coffee first?" he asked, standing.

"Of course not," she said, lifting her mug up to him with a smile. "Wanna get me another cup too?"

He could deny her nothing. "Your wish is my command, Agent Scully."

And with that, he disappeared into the house for coffee.

Scully hadn't meant to frighten him. She'd simply wanted to discuss the logistics of their relationship once they got back to Washington, what ground rules they needed, and so on. The other thing she wanted to talk to him about was an extension of their conversation yesterday in the car. Mulder alluded to having a tough time, even now, coping with her tough bout with cancer. She wanted to talk to him now about it, squash it, and move forward from there.

To be honest, she wanted to set a precedence of dealing with things together, instead of separately, when what they needed was each other's comfort and strength. Their partnership continually proved the point that together they were stronger. They were inseparable. Their stint in Antarctica proved that to their enemies. And now that they'd crossed the line between friendship and romance, it was important as ever to not shut each other out.

"So tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours, Scully," said Mulder from behind her.

She'd not heard him come back. He sat their mugs down on the table, and took his seat once again, this time at the chair to her right, his back to the edge of the deck and the water.

"Okay," she began, not knowing really where to start. "I have two things I want to talk about… one is uncomplicated and the other is kind of deep and difficult. You pick which one you'd like to talk about first."

Mulder's brow furrowed momentarily. It was probably best to get the heavy stuff out of the way.

"Let's go for the gusto, Scully. Let's take care of the heavy things first."

She sighed deeply, not knowing where this was going to go or how it would pan out. Mulder was still fragile in many ways.

"We talked about it in the car yesterday," she alluded, trailing off, hoping he'd get the drift.

She could see resignation in Mulder's eyes once he realized what she meant.

"Ah, yes. That certainly is heavy."

"Mulder, I have to know. Tell me what you were feeling, what you were thinking. Let go of the hurt, because it's over now. You were there for me through it. Let me be there for you now."

He was silent for several minutes. Scully wasn't sure if he was even going to say anything at all. And then, he spoke.

"I remember the first time I saw you in the hospital. Skinner was with me, he told me your room number and I sprinted to just before your room. The curtain was open and I could see you in bed, with tubes hooked up to you," he paused, his breathing ragged. He wanted to do this without crying.

She placed her hand on his, squeezing it, encouraging him to continue. He needed this; he needed to purge these feelings he'd kept in for so long.

"Scully, that sight of you, it hit me like a ton of bricks, physically and emotionally. It was like reality just sucker punched me. I bent over, I couldn't breathe. Jesus Scully, Skinner told me you were dying, and I couldn't believe it. I refused. I felt so foolish about everything we'd ever fought about… I felt so overcome with grief that I couldn't fucking breathe," he stopped, his chest beginning to heave with emotion.

He looked down at the planks of wood of the deck, knowing this was only going to get worse before it got better.

Scully listened to his account intently, tears silently trickling down her face, for the pain Mulder experienced.

After a few moments, he continued. "Scully I would have made a deal with the devil for a cure for you. I ran around frantically. I was so torn between wanting to search for answers, for a cure and to spend what could have been…" he choked up, letting the tears go now. "What could have been your last days…"

"Oh god Scully," he cried. "I was frantic, I was desperate, I was out of my mind. When I saw you, your eyes sunken in, looking…. Looking like you were terminally ill… Scully something in me died I think. I lost hope. You have been my everything. And that was about to be taken from me. You've been so capable and self-sufficient… you're so stronger than me."

He looked up at her then, their hands clasped. His face was wet with tears. When he looked her in the eye, Scully nearly wailed with the pain she saw in his eyes.

"Scully," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't think I was going to make it if you weren't there, honestly. I didn't want to live."

"Mulder, no!" she cried, jumping out of her chair and into his lap, hugging him tightly, burying her face into the warm skin of his neck. The very thought of him being in so much anguish over her, that he thought about taking his own life…. That was an overwhelming thought that Scully couldn't even begin to comprehend.

He held her tight to him as he continued, feeling stronger now that she was in his arms.

"I went to your room when you were in a coma, and I held your hand and I sobbed. I sobbed because I loved you and never told you, I sobbed because I felt like it was all my fault, and I wished that it were me with the cancer and you able to walk away with a normal life."

Scully pulled back to look at him. Placing her hands on his face, she swiped his tears with her thumbs.

"Mulder, I want you to squash that guilt now," she said sagely. "This is not your fault, you couldn't have stopped this. It was bigger than both of us. And more importantly, you and I are both right here. Right now. And I am cancer-free. And that is all that matters from here on out."

He nodded and closed his eyes as she stroked his face softly. It felt good to Mulder to tell Scully what he'd been feeling. He wanted to be the pillar of strength for her, her caretaker. But he stuffed his feelings and they took the backseat for a long time, and he hadn't realized how much it'd taken a toll on him.

He sighed softly, enjoying Scully in his arms and the basking in the sensation of them both being alive and well, and here together.

"Tell me what you're thinking," she whispered.

Mulder pulled her tighter to him, so he cradled her now, instead of her straddling him.

"Sometimes I wish we could have normal jobs and lives. Sometimes I want to leave this all behind, Scully. And after losing you, nearly forever in Antarctica… Sometimes I feel like I don't have it left in me to fight for the truth. I just want to live out the rest of our days together, happy," he said, nuzzling her hair. "Scully, the X-Files have taken so much from you. I don't want them to take anything else. I just want to spend as much time as I can giving back to you what I can."

Scully's eyes pricked with tears again. The guilt this man carried with him was such a heavy load. She wished she could wave her hand and make it all go away.

"Mulder you said it yourself… if we quit now, they win," she said quietly. "We're alive, we're healthy. If you quit, you're going to resent it later on down the road. I know you too well. You are a noble man. You're a good man, and you and I are fighting a noble cause."

He tightened his arms around her in response, Scully's words touching him where he needed it most.

"From here on out, Mulder," she whispered, smoothing back his hair with her hand. "We can't keep stuff like this from each other. If we're going to be together, we can't hide. When things get hard, we have to turn to each other."

Mulder smiled at that. "I hope that means I'll never have to hear an 'I'm fine' from you ever again."

She chuckled. "The door swings both ways."

"I love you, Scully. Thank you for this."

"And I love you, g-man."

Scully extracted herself from his embrace and planted her feet on the deck, standing up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up with her.

"C'mon, let's go inside. It's getting humid out. We can finish talking inside."

Mulder gathered their mugs and they headed inside. He wondered to himself what he'd done to deserve someone like Dana Scully. He sent up a silent prayer of gratitude to a god he wasn't sure he believed in, just in case.

The pair moved to the living room sofa. Both of them smiled internally, remembering the events taking place on the sofa last night. Mulder sat down first, and pulled Scully down with him, placing a throw pillow in his lap, so she could lay down and look up at him.

"So what else is on your mind, Scully? Hopefully something a bit lighter than the last subject," he chuckled, smoothing his hand over her abdomen. She flexed her muscles under his touch and shivered lightly, continually in awe at how his touch affected her.

"Yes, much lighter," she said, smiling up at him. "I guess I just wanted to discuss what's going to happen when we get back to Washington."

"What do you mean?" he said quizzically. He thought they were both in agreement about where this was headed.

"I mean what is our course of action for being together romantically but still effective work partners?"

He was amused at how Scully was such a creature of habit, perpetually looking forward. Meanwhile, Mulder lived in the here and now. Those two combining factors was one of the many things that made them work as a duo.

"Actually, Scully, I think very little will change," he said finally.

Her brow quirked at that. "How so?"

"I mean, nothing has changed besides the fact that we have openly acknowledged something that has been continually existing between us for awhile. The only difference is, we're intimate now. Obviously we know the tactful boundaries in the office and those will be in place."

Scully's worries soothed at that. He was right, of course. Very little had changed when she thought about it. But it felt like everything had changed. Not that it was a bad thing.

"But when we get home at the end of the day, your ass is mine," he said with a wry grin.

"Oh is that so?" she volleyed back. "And your ass is mine."

"Looking forward to it."

"What about out in the field?"

"Honestly, nothing really changes there either, Scully. We conduct ourselves, business as usual. We still have to get two rooms so our expense reports are in check," he trailed off, moving his hand down to her hips, smoothing them lightly over the fabric of her shorts. "But I hope you'll at least want to sleep in the same bed when we're staying in our usual no-tell motels."

She grinned at him. "Well it's either that or I get to listen to you from the other side of the wall, watching those videos you claim you don't own."

He laughed then, leaning down to kiss her. "Oh no, Agent Scully. Now that I've had the real thing, my interest in adult films has dwindled."

Scully nearly purred at his touch. "Oh yeah?" she said breathlessly. "What if I want to watch one with you?"

Mulder closed his eyes. "Scully, are you trying to kill me?"

She snickered. "Oh Mulder, the things I want to do to you."

"How about you give me a little sample of what you mean, if we're done talking that is."

"Mmm, I think that about covers it. How about we go into the kitchen and we christen that island in there?"

Mulder pulled himself and Scully off the couch, and he ushered her into the kitchen. With the weight off his shoulders now, they could get down to the purpose of this weekend – to enjoy each other.


End file.
